The Central Authority for Child Abduction operates in my Department for the purposes of, among other international instruments, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Convention is designed to ensure the return of children who have been removed from one contracting state to another. The information requested by the Deputy is set out below:
|
Year
|
Children brought to the State and returned
to their habitual residence
|
Children taken out of the State and
returned to the State
|
Total
|
|
2010
|
24
|
39
|
63
|
|
2011
|
23
|
34
|
57
|
|
2012
|
34
|
12
|
46
|
|
2013
|
8
|
11
|
19
|
The Deputy should note the following in relation to the above figures, these figures relate to the number of children, not applications, whose parents were subject of a Court Order to return their children plus those who agreed to voluntarily return the children. In addition to the above, it should be noted that some applications are withdrawn and others are resolved by other arrangements including access. The figures quoted also reflect the number of children whose return was invoked under the Hague Convention and the relevant EC Regulation which enhances the provisions of the Convention and these figures include children from both non-EU and EU member states. Further details are available on my Department’s website at: www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/International_child_abduction.
